Drawing on a case-study approach, the leading question of this research plan is what kind of affective polarization can be identified among students at Tokai University in Japan.
“Till Trump Do Us Part: The Relationship Deal Breaker We Never Saw Coming” is a catchy title of an article, in which the author illustrates cases of couples who are ending their relationships due to their different political leanings. As the atmosphere of political animosity between the two main rivaling camps in America- Democrats and Republicans is only being fueled every day, people slowly start to look for other co-partisans to form with them their private lives. On the other hand, those already in a relationship with out-partisans declare that they: “(...)often feel as though their partners don’t understand their own specific fears and anxieties — or that they simply are so far apart politically that the relationship can’t continue.” This phenomenon, known broadly in social sciences as affective polarization, has been emerging as a consequence of political polarization and has been on the rise in recent years in America.
I divide affective polarization into two types: affective polarization manifested in attitudes toward political representatives (parties, political leaders etc.) or also called vertical and manifested in interpersonal attitudes or called “horizontal”. The research foresees two studies conducted in a time interval- one in late 2023 and one in 2025, before the elections in Japan.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. Research question
1.2. Literature review
2. Affective polarization
3. Japan’s political landscape
4. Research plan
4.1. Objectives
4.2. Research Design
4.3. Expected Findings
Research Objectives and Themes
This research aims to identify and analyze the manifestation of affective polarization among students at Tokai University in Japan, focusing on both attitudes toward political representatives and interpersonal relationships, while assessing how these dynamics may reflect broader trends in the Japanese political landscape.
- Investigation of affective polarization in the Japanese context
- Distinction between vertical and horizontal affective polarization
- Analysis of emotional attachment to political parties and out-party animus
- Assessment of political participation and social distance among Japanese youth
Excerpt from the Book
3. Japan’s political landscape
Japan, which dramatically lost World War II in 1945, had to reorient itself and find a new path of political thought. As a result country started to adopt a new system called “one-country pacifism” (一国平和主義 ikkoku heiwa shugi) (Hagström:2015). However, Japan’s past was still present, giving the country a “dual identity”- one pacifist (平和主義 heiwa shugi) and one “traditional statist” (伝統的国家主義 dentouteki kokka shugi) (Hagström:2015). While the pacifist sentiments were gradually advancing and becoming dominant in that period (Stockwin:2023), some opposing voices were also rising. Mishima Yukio, a talented writer, known primarily for his novels (among others Patriotism December 1959, in which the Lieutenant and his wife are committing suicide) was strictly against the presence of Western thought on Japanese soil. He saw a threat in Japan’s development that progressed under the help of the United States as an eradication of traditional Japanese culture. He urged Japan's return to samurai tradition. On 25 November 1970, he committed suicide (Seppuku) after failing to attempt a coup (McKissack:2017, Yamanouchi:1972). Mishima was one of the loudest voices of the polarizing political landscape in Japan and definitely the most loyal to his own political convictions.
However, soon after that Japan has rather taken on a path of political malaise. The LDP was formed in 1955 and since that time has been almost without break in power- leading to the creation of the term “1955 system” (Curtis:2004, Sasada et al.:2013, Silva:2021). Some scholars even compare the hegemonic rule of the LDP to the position of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union, arguing that the LDP “is well entrenched in the organs of government, which respond to its will without realistic expectation that their masters will change.”3 Compared with other parliamentary democracies, the Japanese system of single-party dominance has already surpassed others by their longevity(Stockwin:2023).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the phenomenon of affective polarization and presents the primary research question regarding its manifestation among students at Tokai University.
1.1. Research question: Specifies the focus on a case-study approach to analyze affective polarization regarding both political representatives and interpersonal attitudes.
1.2. Literature review: Provides an overview of foundational and emerging research on affective polarization, highlighting the need for more study within the Japanese context.
2. Affective polarization: Defines affective polarization through the concepts of in-party love and out-party animus, grounded in social identity theory.
3. Japan’s political landscape: Examines Japan’s post-war political development, the dominance of the "1955 system," and the contemporary state of political engagement.
4. Research plan: Outlines the structural framework for the empirical study, including the methodology and intended focus.
4.1. Objectives: Details the goals of the study, emphasizing the link between affective polarization, democratic backsliding, and political participation.
4.2. Research Design: Describes the two-stage experimental process involving Zoom conversations, questionnaires, and feeling thermometers to measure partisan bias.
4.3. Expected Findings: Hypothesizes that affective polarization will be more prominent toward political groups than in interpersonal settings and identifies potential increases in hostility before future elections.
Keywords
Affective polarization, Japan, political landscape, LDP, in-party love, out-party animus, social identity theory, partisan social distance, democratic backsliding, Tokai University, political participation, survey experiment, party identification, Japan political system, student attitudes
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on the phenomenon of "affective polarization," which refers to the emotional divide between political groups, and specifically examines how this manifests among students at Tokai University in Japan.
What are the central themes of the work?
The central themes include the nature of political identity, the distinction between in-party love and out-party animus, the impact of partisan bias on personal relationships and social distance, and the potential implications for Japanese democracy.
What is the primary research goal?
The primary goal is to determine the extent and nature of affective polarization among Japanese students, assessing whether it influences their interpersonal attitudes in addition to their political stances.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The study employs a multi-methodological approach including a two-stage experimental study with Zoom conversations, the use of feeling thermometers to gauge emotional warmth toward political parties, and surveys measuring trait ratings and social distance.
What does the main body cover?
The body of the work covers the theoretical foundations of affective polarization, the unique historical and political landscape of Japan, the specific research design for the student-based study, and the predicted findings regarding partisan behavior.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The study is characterized by keywords such as affective polarization, political landscape, LDP, out-party animus, social identity theory, political participation, and democratic backsliding.
How does the "1955 system" influence Japanese politics according to the paper?
The "1955 system" refers to the long-standing hegemonic dominance of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP); the paper explores how this enduring system potentially creates an environment where political opposition is often seen as marginalized or insignificant.
Why is studying students at Tokai University specifically relevant?
Studying this group serves as a valuable case study to move beyond the American-centric literature on polarization and provides empirical evidence within the under-researched context of Japan, helping to break stereotypes about the political apathy of Japanese youth.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Katarzyna Skorska (Autor:in), 2023, Us versus them. A Case Study of Student’s Affective Polarization at Tokai University, Japan, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1498921
